Sara Miller of Richland, Michigan, gives $1,000 to Kalamazoo Animal Rescue. The volunteer-driven organization takes in abused, neglected animals and pets with no homes and matches them with loving families. The organization relies heavily on donations to care for its animals.

When they receive the $1,000, the volunteers at the shelter are ecstatic. "Thank you, Oprah!" they scream. Sara's donation will go toward spaying and neutering animals at the shelter.

Sara says it feels wonderful to help a cause she really cares about. "Starting in high school, every time I was assigned a research paper, it was done on animal rights and abuse," she says. "Now I feel I have actually done something to help these abused animals. … This act of kindness will be with me for the rest of my life, and for those animals also."